Most deaths in large truck crashes are passenger vehicle occupants. The main problem is the vulnerability of people traveling in smaller vehicles. Trucks often weigh 20-30 times as much as passenger cars and are taller with greater ground clearance, which can result in smaller vehicles underriding trucks in crashes.

Truck braking capability can be a factor in truck crashes. Loaded tractor-trailers take 20-40 percent farther than cars to stop, and the discrepancy is greater on wet and slippery roads or with poorly maintained brakes. Truck driver fatigue also is a known crash risk. Drivers of large trucks are allowed by federal hours-of-service regulations to drive up to 11 hours at a stretch and up to 77 hours over a seven-day period. Surveys indicate that many drivers violate the regulations and work longer than permitted.
McCartt, A.T.; Hellinga L.A.; and Solomon, M.G. 2008. Work schedules of long-distance truck drivers before and after 2004 hours-of-service rule change. Traffic Injury Prevention 9:201-10.

Data subsections:

Trends

A total of 3,852 people died in large truck crashes in 2015. Sixteen percent of these deaths were truck occupants, 69 percent were occupants of cars and other passenger vehicles, and 15 percent were pedestrians, bicyclists or motorcyclists. The number of people who died in large truck crashes was 22 percent higher in 2015 than in 2009, when it was lower than at any year since the collection of fatal crash data began in 1975. The number of truck occupants who died was 34 percent higher than in 2009. Since 1979, when deaths in large truck crashes were at an all time high, there has been a greater percentage decline among occupants of large trucks (56 percent) than among occupants of passenger vehicles (37 percent).

Deaths in crashes involving large trucks, 1975-2015

Year

Passenger vehicle occupants

Large truck occupants

Motorcyclists, bicyclists and pedestrians

Total*

Number

%

Number

%

Number

%

Number

%

1975

2,757

64

916

21

528

12

4,305

100

1976

3,071

63

1,100

22

622

13

4,893

100

1977

3,631

65

1,229

22

653

12

5,614

100

1978

3,954

64

1,315

21

776

13

6,160

100

1979

4,226

65

1,372

21

830

13

6,539

100

1980

3,623

63

1,183

21

844

15

5,740

100

1981

3,752

66

1,082

19

772

14

5,680

100

1982

3,448

67

917

18

679

13

5,125

100

1983

3,615

67

960

18

732

14

5,404

100

1984

3,713

67

1,040

19

712

13

5,550

100

1985

3,825

68

941

17

724

13

5,613

100

1986

3,752

69

892

16

718

13

5,468

100

1987

3,833

70

821

15

712

13

5,471

100

1988

3,938

71

886

16

647

12

5,566

100

1989

3,847

72

822

15

587

11

5,360

100

1990

3,790

73

684

13

615

12

5,174

100

1991

3,447

73

650

14

562

12

4,728

100

1992

3,300

75

580

13

481

11

4,422

100

1993

3,611

76

590

12

462

10

4,778

100

1994

3,764

74

658

13

555

11

5,069

100

1995

3,626

75

634

13

495

10

4,834

100

1996

3,866

77

602

12

465

9

5,048

100

1997

3,992

75

717

14

497

9

5,295

100

1998

3,981

75

739

14

495

9

5,316

100

1999

3,916

74

747

14

519

10

5,299

100

2000

3,863

75

737

14

490

9

5,173

100

2001

3,709

74

691

14

513

10

5,012

100

2002

3,616

75

675

14

464

10

4,846

100

2003

3,595

73

703

14

504

10

4,905

100

2004

3,693

72

743

15

564

11

5,099

100

2005

3,584

71

758

15

595

12

5,049

100

2006

3,466

71

774

16

564

12

4,886

100

2007

3,234

70

745

16

578

13

4,613

100

2008

2,774

69

615

15

580

14

4,017

100

2009

2,223

71

449

14

443

14

3,147

100

2010

2,453

72

475

14

445

13

3,418

100

2011

2,245

66

555

16

530

16

3,384

100

2012

2,362

67

590

17

537

15

3,529

100

2013

2,418

67

589

16

560

15

3,616

100

2014

2,486

68

585

16

535

15

3,663

100

2015

2,646

69

600

16

563

15

3,852

100

*Total includes other and/or unknowns

Ninety-seven percent of vehicle occupants killed in two-vehicle crashes involving a passenger vehicle and a large truck in 2015 were occupants of the passenger vehicles.

Occupant deaths in two-vehicle crashes involving a large truck and a passenger vehicle, 2015

Occupant type

Deaths

%

Passenger vehicle occupants

2,100

97

Large truck occupants

71

3

All occupant deaths

2,171

100

Eleven percent of all motor vehicle crash deaths in 2015 occurred in large truck crashes.

Motor vehicle crash deaths occurring in large truck crashes and other crashes, 2015

Crash type

Deaths

%

Large truck crashes

3,852

11

Other crashes

31,240

89

All crashes

35,092

100

Seventy-five percent of deaths in large truck crashes in 2015 were in crashes involving tractor-trailers and 25 percent were in crashes involving single-unit trucks. Some crashes involved both a tractor-trailer and a single-unit truck.

Deaths in large truck crashes by truck type involved, 2015

Truck type

Deaths

%

Tractor-trailer

2,887

75

Single-unit

963

25

NOTE: More than one large truck may be involved in a single crash and the deaths associated with that crash.

Sixty percent of large truck occupants killed in multiple-vehicle crashes in 2015 occurred in collisions involving another large truck.

Deaths of large truck occupants in multiple-vehicle crashes by number of large trucks involved, 2015

Number of large trucks

Deaths

%

1

100

40

≥ 2

151

60

Total

251

100

Twelve percent of all passenger vehicle occupant deaths and 23 percent of passenger vehicle occupant deaths in multiple-vehicle crashes in 2015 occurred in crashes with large trucks.

Among vehicle occupants killed in large truck crashes, both the rate of passenger vehicle occupant deaths per truck mile traveled and the rate of large truck occupant deaths per truck mile traveled have declined substantially since 1975.
Federal Highway Administration. 2015. Highway statistics, 2014. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Transportation.

Occupant deaths in large truck crashes per 100 million truck miles traveled, 1975-2015

Year

Truck miles traveled in millions

Large truck occupants

Passenger vehicle occupants

Number

Rate

Number

Rate

1975

81,330

916

1.13

2,757

3.39

1976

86,070

1,100

1.28

3,071

3.57

1977

95,021

1,229

1.29

3,631

3.82

1978

105,739

1,315

1.24

3,954

3.74

1979

109,004

1,372

1.26

4,226

3.88

1980

108,491

1,183

1.09

3,623

3.34

1981

108,702

1,082

1.00

3,752

3.45

1982

111,423

917

0.82

3,448

3.09

1983

116,132

960

0.83

3,615

3.11

1984

121,796

1,040

0.85

3,713

3.05

1985

123,504

941

0.76

3,825

3.10

1986

126,675

892

0.70

3,752

2.96

1987

133,517

821

0.61

3,833

2.87

1988

137,985

886

0.64

3,938

2.85

1989

142,749

822

0.58

3,847

2.69

1990

146,242

684

0.47

3,790

2.59

1991

149,543

650

0.43

3,447

2.31

1992

153,384

580

0.38

3,300

2.15

1993

159,888

590

0.37

3,611

2.26

1994

170,216

658

0.39

3,764

2.21

1995

178,162

634

0.36

3,626

2.04

1996

182,971

602

0.33

3,866

2.11

1997

191,477

717

0.37

3,992

2.08

1998

196,380

739

0.38

3,981

2.03

1999

202,688

747

0.37

3,916

1.93

2000

205,520

737

0.36

3,863

1.88

2001

209,032

691

0.33

3,709

1.77

2002

214,603

675

0.31

3,616

1.68

2003

217,917

703

0.32

3,595

1.65

2004

220,792

743

0.34

3,693

1.67

2005

222,523

758

0.34

3,584

1.61

2006

222,513

774

0.35

3,466

1.56

2007

304,178

745

0.24

3,234

1.06

2008

310,680

615

0.20

2,774

0.89

2009

288,306

449

0.16

2,223

0.77

2010

286,527

475

0.17

2,453

0.86

2011

267,594

555

0.21

2,245

0.84

2012

269,207

590

0.22

2,362

0.88

2013

275,017

589

0.21

2,418

0.88

2014

279,132

585

0.21

2,486

0.89

2015

279,844

600

0.21

2,646

0.95

NOTE: The method of estimating truck miles traveled was changed beginning in 2007, and these results are not comparable to those of past years. For more information, visit http://www.fhwa.dot.gov

Where and when large truck crashes occurred

Fifty-three percent of deaths in large truck crashes in 2015 occurred on major roads other than interstates and freeways, 30 percent occurred on interstates and freeways, and 14 percent occurred on minor roads.

Deaths in large truck crashes by road type, 2015

Road type

Deaths

%

Interstates and freeways

1,158

30

Other major roads

2,027

53

Minor roads

528

14

Unknown

139

4

All road types

3,852

100

Forty-two percent of large truck crash deaths in 2015 occurred from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m., compared with 30 percent of crash deaths not involving large trucks.

Deaths in large truck crashes and other crashes by time of day, 2015

Time of day

Large truck crashes

Other crashes

All crashes

Deaths

%

Deaths

%

Deaths

%

Midnight - 3 a.m.

305

8

3,708

12

4,013

11

3 a.m. - 6 a.m.

370

10

2,539

8

2,909

8

6 a.m. - 9 a.m.

605

16

2,889

9

3,494

10

9 a.m. - noon

635

16

2,744

9

3,379

10

Noon - 3 p.m.

681

18

3,776

12

4,457

13

3 p.m. - 6 p.m.

582

15

5,013

16

5,595

16

6 p.m. - 9 p.m.

343

9

5,569

18

5,912

17

9 p.m. - midnight

324

8

4,746

15

5,070

14

Total*

3,852

100

31,240

100

35,092

100

*Total includes other and/or unknowns

Seventeen percent of large truck crash deaths in 2015 occurred on Saturday and Sunday, compared with 36 percent of crash deaths not involving large trucks.

Deaths in large truck crashes and other crashes by day of week, 2015

Day of Week

Large truck crashes

Other crashes

All crashes

Deaths

%

Deaths

%

Deaths

%

Sunday

265

7

5,522

18

5,787

16

Monday

587

15

3,741

12

4,328

12

Tuesday

652

17

3,603

12

4,255

12

Wednesday

651

17

3,832

12

4,483

13

Thursday

675

18

4,108

13

4,783

14

Friday

641

17

4,622

15

5,263

15

Saturday

381

10

5,812

19

6,193

18

Total*

3,852

100

31,240

100

35,092

100

*Total includes other and/or unknowns

Comparison of large truck crashes and passenger vehicle crashes

Fifty-two percent of large truck occupant deaths in 2015 occurred in crashes in which their vehicles rolled over. This was similar to the percentage of SUV occupant deaths and pickup occupant deaths that occurred in rollover crashes and much higher than the percentage of occupant deaths in cars (23 percent) involving rollovers.

Occupant deaths in large trucks and passenger vehicles by number of vehicles involved, 2015

Crash type

Large truck occupants

Passenger vehicle occupants

Number

%

Number

%

Single-vehicle

349

58

10,858

48

Multiple-vehicle

251

42

11,685

52

All crashes*

600

100

22,543

100

*Total includes other and/or unknowns

Sixteen percent of large trucks in fatal crashes in 2015 were involved in single-vehicle crashes; in contrast, 38 percent of passenger vehicles in fatal crashes were involved in single-vehicle crashes.

Large truck and passenger vehicle involvement in fatal crashes by number of vehicles involved, 2015

Safety belt use among fatally injured large truck and passenger vehicle drivers, 2015

Belt use

Large truck drivers

Passenger vehicle drivers

Number

%

Number

%

Belt used

251

47

7,934

48

Unbelted

173

32

7,224

44

Unknown

114

21

1,326

8

Total

538

100

16,484

100

Twenty-nine percent of passenger vehicle occupants killed in two-vehicle crashes with a large truck in 2015 were in head-on crashes with the truck. Twenty percent involved the front of the passenger vehicle striking the rear of the large truck.

Passenger vehicle occupant deaths in 2-vehicle crashes with a large truck, 2015

Large truck

Passenger vehicle

Total

Front

Side

Rear

Other

Number

%

Number

%

Number

%

Number

%

Number

%

Front

607

29

546

26

124

6

15

1

1292

62

Side

252

12

55

3

0

0

12

1

319

15

Rear

427

20

16

1

0

0

2

<1

445

21

Other

22

1

7

<1

0

0

15

1

44

2

Total

1308

62

624

30

124

6

44

2

2100

100

Large truck drivers killed in fatal crashes rarely have high blood alcohol concentrations (BACs). Truck drivers are subject to strict government regulations concerning drinking and driving. Three percent of fatally injured large truck drivers in 2015 had BACs at or above 0.08 percent, down from 17 percent in 1982. For comparison, 30 percent of fatally injured passenger vehicle drivers in 2015 had BACs at or above 0.08 percent, down from 51 percent in 1982.

Estimated percent and number of fatally injured large truck and passenger vehicle drivers with BACs ≥0.08 percent, 1982-2015